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The Sunken Place
8Sin. It was a country located far east of Fiore on the Ishgar Continent and could be described as being the "slums" of Ishgar as the country itself had a reputation of being a corrupted gathering of crooks and criminals. Those wishing to make a good and honest source of living avoided coming anywhere near a desolate place like this and only those who truly understood how things worked in the underground circuit could survive here. Despite all of that however, a certain young guild master found the new change in scenery quite refreshing as he stood on top of an abandoned building and cast his gaze down at the city filled with lifeless and unmotivated people loitering the streets. The air reeked of the stench of blood and depression but that didn't seem to bother Tetsuya as his acute senses looked around the city, eyeing each and every corner like a hawk stalking its prey.s "Cursan better be right about this. He said he tracked her scent to this city but I haven't been able to spot anyone matching her description yet..." The source of Tetsuya's frustration was the mysterious assassin who he had heard of from one of his contacts in Sin who had informed him of the terrifying shadow like woman who was becoming something akin to a boogie man to even the most brutal of mercenaries that lived in this country. Tales of her expertise had reached the curious dragon slayer's ears and it took little convincing for him to head out and search for her whereabouts. The only issue was that this woman was a damn headache to track down. Having spent close to a full week going on nothing but rumors and untrustworthy leads and having produced no results, Tetsuya had almost given up his search, that is until the timely assistance from Cursan, the eccentric demon partnered with his good friend Sa'luk al-Tair, who had offered his help in exchange for some of Tetsuya's more "exotic" cuisines he saved for only special occasions. It was a tough decision but Tetsuya relented and accepted the deal, culminating in Cursan finding a faint but noticeable trail that led to this city being her current location, at least for the time being. As for how long she would be in the city, no one could tell but Tetsuya wasn't willing to give up as he continued to survey his surroundings. Having grown up in this kind of environment as well, Tetsuya felt a bit nostalgic as he watched some kids steal food from an enraged vendor or watching a group of thugs mugging a defenseless young man that would inevitably lead to his own demise. Tetsuya was no martyr, he did not save or involve himself in the problems of others just out of the goodness of his own heart. He only chased individuals who caught his eye and the only person in this country that he knew of that he felt would leave a strong impression on him was this mysterious assassin. Having waited for nearly three hours, Tetsuya yawned and planned to head back to an inn to try again tomorrow before something caught his eye. It was a figure moving in the stillness of the night, her black attire standing out as the moon shined above in the sky. Her movements were both graceful and masterful as she maneuvered through the crowd of people silently and without alerting any attention to herself. "Hoh..." Tetsuya whistled as his eyes grew with interest. "Now there's something you don't see every day. Let's check it out" Swiftly jumping from the building he was standing on, Tetsuya tailed the robbed figure as he jumped from building to building, unaware that his target had long since already discovered his presence. Frustrations shared. She had come here with the intention of finding her worthless, deadbeat, slut of a mother and offing her finally, which would have meant one big check box on her two item list. Instinctively, she forced down the swelling fury, abhorrence, and terror any thought of that malicious tramp incited. At least she had caught some of her . Murdered one by one without a sound, disposed of in a place no one could find them. After all, you can't see what isn't there. She ignored that crowd as she cut through its mass like a shark through water. Mercenaries weren't sure of what she looked like; only knowing that someone was massacring one of the criminal underbelly's strongest organizations like a cow at wholesale. Rene couldn't help but derive a sick sense of satisfaction from their angst. The hunters becoming the hunted. The assassin was snapped from her thoughts however by a sound nay a presence. It was easily the largest here and reeked of thunder and storm. More importantly, it continued following her. Why she didn't know, only that it was foreign to this place. Nor did she care; Rene lacked time for distractions. With a silent and serene heart masking her deepest turmoil, Renesmee into the night, the moving throng of people appearing to swallow her whole. "Hm?" Tetsuya immediately noticed a rather odd occurrence transpire right before his very eyes as his target vanished completely from his senses. This was beyond puzzling to the sensitive dragon slayer who sniffed a few times and frowned when even his target's scent had dissipated. It was vastly different from any simple illusion or stealth magic; it was if his target had erased their entire existence all together. That said however, this set back didn't derail Tetsuya but instead confirmed one thing for him as a vicious grin formed on his face. "This confirms it. Looks like I've found them" Tetsuya was just chasing a rather interesting person due to the possibility of them being connected to his target but with that vanishing act they just pulled and with the information Tetsuya had on the characteristics of the assassin, there was little room to doubt this was the person he was looking for. Snapping out of his thoughts, Tetsuya realized that he could potentially let his prey escape if he dawdled too long as he stretched his arm out whilst in mid air. Moments later, a rather grotesque eyeball appeared in the center of Tetsuya's palm followed by a wide and creepy smile that began laughing and was very reminiscent of a certain sealed demon that was known throughout Dawn Horizon as Cursan. It was no secret that among all of Tetsuya's subordinates, Cursan's ability to track down an individual was second to none as the demon, while being eccentric and downright maddening, was unquestionably a fearsome tracker. "It's about time you summoned me, boss" The mouth spoke as its eyeball moved its sight from side to side. "I didn't really plan on it but she's proving to be rather elusive. Still, is this really the only way you can assist me without actually being here?" Tetsuya asked as he was a bit repulsed by what his hand had become. "Hehehe" The mini Cursan jeered "Bingo. Since I can't leave my dear boy's side, this was the only option. Not to worry though, you can dismiss me whenever you please. Now then, about those delicacies you promised..." "Later, now find her" Tetsuya stated with no room for an argument. "Fine" The mini Cursan grumbled as the eyeball began to radiate a faint purple glow that covered the entirety of Tetsuya's hand. The pupil moved from side to side, analyzing its entire surroundings before it stopped a few meters to the left and laughed. "I'm impressed, the level of magic she's using to conceal herself is incredible. There's no way you would have been able to find her without me" The demon bragged "Of course, for a being such as myself, this brat would need a few hundred years before she could avoid me" Moments later, a shining purple trail exploded out from Cursan's mouth as it zig zagged through the city and attached itself to thin air as it continued forward, surprising Tetsuya who whistled in admiration. "So she's over there huh" He wasted no time as he changed his body structure from physical to electric by activating his Lightning Body and moved like a lightning bolt through the city, hot on the assassin's trail. She slowed down a bit, noting the foreign presence had faded. Good. Taking stock of her surroundings, Rene noticed she was on the outskirts of the city, the desolate, broken buildings littered with debris and inhabited by squatters marking this change. Even more rundown, only a few were capable of serving as permanent shelters; others threatened to collapse at any moment. As if listening, one abandoned factory groaned and creaked. Her thoughts were disrupted once more by something pricking at her margins....she couldn't tell what it was, but it felt..malevolent. Renesmee had little time to ponder this, however, before she heard a distinctive crackle of rapidly approaching energy. Lightning magic; mixed with the foreigner's magic signature. Her mood soured slightly before righting, blinking out of existence once more as she poured more focus into her veil, layering it deliberately while vaguely pondering how he managed to tail her given the nature of her abilities. A small part of her mind drifted back to the first, insidious element she sensed. Malicious intent that was all too familiar yet clearly different at the same time; older to be precise. It did not sit well with her as she moved beyond the city limits into the decaying reaches of suburbia, lines of rotting homes marking a once thriving community. Not that it matter though; only two types of maniac were her priorities. Once finished with that well.....finished she'd be. "Such is life." The trail conjured by the demon led to outskirts of the desolate city, miles away from where Tetsuya had been before as the lightning charged guild master had managed to cover a significant distance in a short period of time. Momentarily, the trail had stopped for a brief moment as Tetsuya believed he'd catch up to her in no time but that fantasy quickly faded as the trail continued onward, leading outside the limits of the city into an even more desolate location as Tetsuya frowned. "Did she notice us?" Tetsuya asked the resting demon who seemed more interested in this fleeing entity by the minute. "Probably. Her presence has gotten even weaker than before. How annoying..." Cursan complained but it still wasn't at a level that he couldn't handle as the purple trail became even larger as Tetsuya could follow the trail much easier than before. However, it was very apparent that whoever this assassin was, she didn't want to be followed and that made him question his approach as he believed she'd flee from him even if he were to catch up to her. That was no good. In truth, there was some information he recieved from his source that he believed would be instrumental in convincing this assassin that he was worth her time but he first needed to corner her. "I usually don't like engaging first but it seems she's not leaving me a choice" Tetsuya slowly lifted his free hand into the air, channeling his magic through the center of his palm. The electricity gathered in his hand then took the form of a long electric javelin that floated above his hand as Tetsuya focused his attention solely on the end of the trail. "Odin's Spear" He threw his hand forward, launching the electric spear at the invisible target that he intended for her to either dodge or block that would potentially reveal her figure as he believed her cloaking magic would be dispelled if she were to engage in physical combat. Little did Tetsuya know however that the true nature of her opponent's magic was more difficult to deal with than he originally thought. She heard the crackle sing in her ears as the chase increased in tempo. So he the foreigner continued his pursuance; how irritating. She had neither the time or the patience for this continued distraction and nuisance it created. As well as that malicious aura attached to it; she would turn, bemused as the electric spear sailed through her and into the extremely dry, brittle bark of a nearby tree. Snap and pop told all she needed to know about the result of this collision. "Fool." Rene turned back the way she came, flying past the pursuing Tetsuya. Though not before speaking as she passed, her tone deadpan. "Go home foreigner; I have no interest in your shallow whims. Tell your demon friend to do the same." With that, she raced into the emptiness, sinking ever deeper into the embrace of her magic, drying up the doggedly persistent trail attached to her. Tetsuya's eyes widened in disbelief as he saw his lightning spear phase through nothingness and collide with an old brittle tree. That was an unexpected outcome. He believed her magic would come undone by either her dodging or countering the technique but from what he just witnessed, the attack just went right through her, as if her body didn't exist in physical space. Just what kind hax ability was that? His bewilderment didn't last long however as Tetsuya felt a cold presence whisk past him, her voice alarming him for a moment due to the sheer coldness of it. He whirled around, trying to find sight of her but came up short as the trail that had once been stuck onto her had dried up like an old well. "Tsk" Tetsuya clicked his tongue before his eyes befell the demon stuck to his hand "Cursan, where is she?" "..." Cursan's response was silent, something that Tetsuya was not accustom too as Tetsuya frowned. "...You didn't lose her by any chance did you?" "Well..." Cursan's response was a bit hesitant as a heavy sigh escaped Tetsuya's mouth, one that reeked of both frustration and disappointment. Cursan was quick to defend himself however. "Hey, don't pin this on me! She obviously upped her game thanks to that little stunt you pulled earlier!" "If I didn't take a chance on that, this game of cat and mouse would never end" "Maybe, but it seems your plan didn't work out the way you thought it w- owow! ow! ow! Alright I'm sorry please stop!" Cursan pleaded as he fell victim to Tetsuya's torture as the guild master began stretching the mouth attached to his palm with a look of clear agitation. "It's not my fault okay, whatever kind of magic she's using it's complex enough that she can even evade my senses, though in my current state I'm quite limited in my searching capabilities. If I was here with Sal, I could probably still find her even now but in this state? Forget it" Tetsuya grumbled as he crossed his arms and scanned the empty and silent rummage before him. "So what's the plan now?" "Hmm..." Cursan contemplated, before a potentially genius idea popped into his head and he manually moved Tetsuya's arm to his ear to whisper it. Tetsuya listened in for a bit and looked a bit stunned by Cursan's suggestion but given the situation, didn't really have any better options as he shrugged. "Guess it's worth a try. Truth be told, I was planning on doing something similar but I thought attacking her would be more effective" "Trust me boss, it'll work. This might be the only way to get her out in the open" With all that said, Tetsuya sucked in a large breath, as if he was mimicking the act of a dragon breathing fire, before he opened his mouth and shouted at the top of his lungs. "HEY ASSASSIN GIRL! I KNOW YOUR LOOKING FOR A CERTAIN GUILD AND A CERTAIN SOMEONE TO TRACK DOWN! I HAD SOME INFORMATION REGARDING THOSE TWO TO SHARE WITH YOU BUT SINCE YOUR CLEARLY NOT INTERESTED, I"LL JUST TAKE MY LEAVE THEN!" Due to possessing lungs comparable to that of a dragon, Tetsuya's message couldn't have been any louder even if he wanted as Cursan, despite not having any ears, felt his head go numb from the sheer magnitude. He could only feel pity for the assassin girl if she was anywhere nearby at the moment. In any case, Tetsuya had laid his trap as he turned around and began walking away from his location, hopeful that Cursan's tactic would come to fruition. Unfortunately, she was rather close, having slowed down as she felt the intruder's presence fade. No pursuit meant it was time to find a place to crash for the night before moving on. But then she heard the bellowing roar; or maybe it was a scream. She placed her hands on her ears, wincing before them with earplugs. The shockwaves produced by his carrying voice proved enough to shake the putrid, rotten foundations of the nearest buildings, causing them to tumble down one by one, responding to his projecting voice with crashes of their own. Nevertheless, she heard enough of what the uncouth, arrogant twat had to say. It was as thinly veiled a sentence as one could make. Renesmee paused, beginning to war with herself; information would be useful, especially about her mother's whereabouts. However, it could be a bluff; or the information itself unreliable. Besides, she had dealt with his "kind" before. Charming persistent blokes who tried plying her with words, false promises and information. False companionship that earned them a one way ticket to the next world. Once again, she pushed down a maddening nausea incited by the direction her thoughts went, familiar faces haunting her mind's eye. Should she go? It was most undoubtably a trap, and his reckless temperament showed he was absolutely willing to do everything it took to get what he wanted. Unfortunately, she was not an object, but a person. She pulled out one of her blades, tapping it experimentally. Deciding, she tapped the blade once more, this time with magic coating her fingertips. Placing it on the ground, the blade would shudder, growing, widening, and reshaping itself until Rene was face to face with an identical Rene. "Find out what they have to say." Renesmee Jr. nodded, before running off in the direction of Tetsuya's location. She removed her veil function as she did so, making herself visible once more to warn the foreigner of her arrival and willingness to talk. Or at least listen. Tetsuya stopped his retreat the moment he felt a presence reveal itself behind him and turned around accordingly, ignoring the "Told you so" coming from his demon possessed hand as he narrowed his eyes at the assassin finally showing herself. A beauty no doubt; she was a rather attractive dark haired woman whose appearance matched the description of what Tetsuya had heard from his scarce sources. Having already seen a plethora of beauties over his years, it would be impossible to enamor the guild master anymore with just looks alone but dead look in her eyes is what captivated Tetsuya the most. He had seen many individuals with eyes like those before in his guild, such as Junko Jimahakai and Sa'luk al-Tair but even compared to them, the coldness in her eyes made Tetsuya deathly curious as the mental state of this clearly broken girl and what kind of life had she lived. In any case, he wasn't going to get any answers staring at her as he smiled and raised his hand. "It's about time you came out of hiding. Why would you want to avoid people when you have such a pretty face?" He tried flattery, his go to ice breaker but it had no effect as the woman looked about as disinterested as one could be. Coughing to clear away the awkward silence, Tetsuya proceeded on. "Not one for flattery eh, well no matter. I've traveled quite a long time to meet you, my dear assassin. I go by the name of Ludius Grande Di Tetsuya, you may or may not have heard of me. Tell me, what do they call you as, you know besides the Shadow Stalker?" Her deadpan expression didn't deviate, her crimson gaze heartlessly cold as she gave the slightly shake of her head. "Unimportant. I didn't come here to share pleasantries; you claim to have information on the whereabouts of two....entities," she responded, her tone vacant. A look of pure, all-consuming acrimony flashed across her expression, too quick to be seen by most. Yet it was felt; animals scattered from the underbrush and nearby vegetation in terror, the night sitting in stone-still silence as trees appeared to lean away from her. They all seemed to signal the same warning to the plucky guildmaster: danger. "Well?" "...This girl..." Tetsuya did not fail to notice the shift in the assassin's mood when the topic of both the organization and individual she was looking for was brought forth. To get such a reaction out of her at the mere mention of such things, there was no doubt in Tetsuya's mind that this woman was on a mission and would stop at nothing to achieve it. If that was the case, bluffing about the information in his disposal could potentially lead to "Hey, boss..." Cursan suddenly spoke as Tetsuya kept eye contact with the nameless assassin but drew his attention to his palm. "What?" "...There's something off about her. The vibe I'm getting from her is different from what I got before when I first tracked her" "Hm?" Tetsuya raised his eyebrows as he scanned the growlingly impatient assassin with piercing eyes and noted that while there was nothing off about her appearance or her magic. If there was something wrong with her, he couldn't tell. "Are you sure?" Cursan scoffed "Show a little respect would you. Seeing through different kinds of magic isn't exactly your forte but for a superior demon like me? It's a piece of cake. Most likely, what you're seeing is either an illusion or perhaps a body double. Which shouldn't be a surprise given her cautiousness" "...I see" Tetsuya nodded, still not completely sure if the demon was right but accepted his words nonetheless before he adopted a pleasant smile to the neutral assassin who was still waiting on answers. "Hey, this information I have wasn't easy to get and it isn't free. You think I'd just hand it over to you without at least some form of compensation? Hm? This is a give and take on both parts" He taunted as he crossed his arms and smirked even wider. He needed to play up his bluff as much as he could and try to push some buttons in order to draw out the real one, if Cursan's assumption was correct. "As I thought." With one graceful turn, her back faced him. "You have nothing to offer don't you....false bravado, squared shoulders, and smirk that's as wide as it is fake. I can't say I'm surprised; just another foreigner out of their depth," Rene started, her tone flatly dismissive. The woman began walking away, before pausing. "Also, tell that eyeball demon stuck in your palm to stop talking so loud; unless he wants the world to know his business." With that final remark, she strolled through the night air, long strides carrying her further and further away. "...This isn't going how I planned it at all" Tetsuya watched her retreating figure with a few sweat drops dripping down his face as he didn't actually believe his taunt would go unanswered. This woman was vastly different from alot of the people Tetsuya had dealt with over the years; she was a true business like woman with no patience for anything other than what her objective was. Flattery and coyness were useless against her, she was not going to pay him any mind unless her entire attention was devoted to solely him. And since that was the case, Tetsuya needed to up the stakes, no matter the consequence. "Cursan, thanks for the help but I'll take it from here" Tetsuya stated, surprising the startled Cursan. "What? Just what are you planning?" "Let's just say that I'm planning to play a little dirty to get what I want" That was all Tetsuya had left to say to his demon companion before he clenched his hand and dispelled the magic that was connecting Cursan to him, regaining complete control over his left arm as he took a deep breath and adopted a more sinister expression as he prepared to play the role necessary to incite her wrath. "That's a shame. For someone whose spent all this time looking for Esme, I would have thought you'd be more inclined to listen to what I have to say" Tetsuya made sure to word that name with as much emphasis as possible as he raised his voice so that she could intentionally hear him. He did not know who Esme was or what that name meant to the nameless assassin but from what he had gathered from his contacts, anyone who dared to say that name within her vicinity was not seen or heard from again. It was a gamble; one that could prove fruitful or lethal. A mistake. The world stilled, a collective breath held as the taboo word was spoken. She didn't turn, didn't move. Only seeing red. Then she shifted. A mix of her ancestry and latent rage, meant distance covered in an instant. Face to face with the transgressor, her hand reached out, grabbing for his hand before driving it into the ground. Tetsuya's eyes flickered with surprise when he saw the visible changes occurring before him as the figure of the woman standing in front of him darkened and in brief moment, he felt his hand pinned to the ground as she had closed off the distance between them in mere seconds. Due to dropping his guard, Tetsuya was unprepared to counter her display of both speed and terror as he witnessed a sight most would beg not to witness. It cratered once, twice, thrice. An unholy obscured her figure, black as pitch and writhing. Acrimony given life, its wings spread to encompass the land. Soon, the place was saturated, the creeping mass firmly entrenched in every nook and cranny of the earth. Palpable, the monstrosity became a bowel-breaking, mind-numbing tape recorder, playing and replaying the imagination of Rene's mind. Esme; a word that haunted her dreams and filled her nightmares. Chopped in many pieces? Drowned in acid? Maybe burned at the stake; it would be a fitting end for what she was. Or maybe pulled apart, bit by bit, starved of everything and placed in the sun. No; she'd be the type to enjoy something like that. A quick and simple death; eviscerated or decapitated. Burn the remains. The remains of hundreds began popping up around her, some skeletal wrecks, others mangled, decomposing husks. All broken, all empty, crushed beyond recognition as the world burned around them. Her hand tightened instinctively, the much abused earth cracking once more. She leaned downward to Tetsuya's ear. "Keep that filthy name off your tongue, ok?" she murmured, voice soft as velvet and still as death. She jumped back, the murderous, diabolical, dark mass condensing into her person. Stripped away from the landscape, the smallest of exhales could be heard, even as the killing intent's retreat revealed decaying masses. The unlucky beings who hadn't escaped before she exploded. She , two slashes burying themselves in the environment. One landing a millimeter from Tetsuya's neck, the other right in open space right next to his heart. "Don't follow me this time." "...." Tetsuya remained silent, still contemplating the whirlwind of emotion he had just witnessed as while he expected a reaction from uttering the taboo word, he didn't expect that kind of reaction. His eyes trailed down to the slashes buried dangerously close to his body and noticed his hand shaking as he raised it with an unreadable expression. Was it fear that made his hand shake? No, of course not. This was a man that had stared death in the face more times than he could count and had squared off against creatures that made that earlier display of killing intent produced by the assassin look like a child throwing a tantrum. If it wasn't fear that was causing his hand to shake, what was it? The answer was excitement. Tetsuya's blood was beginning to boil as he sucked in a cold breath, trying to contain his demonic instincts that urged him to fight this woman here and now. There would be plenty of time for that, what was more important was capitalizing on the two mistakes the assassin had made that he was going to exploit in the upcoming brawl. "That was quite a display you showed me" Tetsuya began as he shook the hand she had grabbed not too long ago a few times. "So the rumors were true, you completely lose yourself whenever you hear that name. That's quite the discovery I've made and I plan to exploit it to the fullest" When she had declared for him to cease her following him, Tetsuya couldn't help but snort in amusement. "Don't follow you? My dear, I don't think you understand how I operate. And besides..." Tetsuya worded as he smiled when he saw a sparks of lightning emitting from the assassin's hand; more specifically the same hand that had come into contact with his own body. "Here some advice kid, don't carelessly touch something unless you know it's not dangerous" Tetsuya slowly unsheathed the shimmering silver blade across his waist and just as he did, the assassin's body began to slowly gravitate towards himself, something that no doubt stunned the black haired woman. "Surprised? I'm sure you've heard of magnets before. Well you've just become a living one after you touched me and are now being pulled towards the metal that's in my hands" He stated as he slowly walked towards the gravitating assassin with a predatory grin on his face, holding the blade below his waist just itching to slice something up. By the unreadable look on her face, the assassin must have realized she made a grave error in believing that her attempts at intimidating him would make him wary of her. In fact, just the opposite had happened as she had stirred Tetsuya's demonic blood into finding out everything he wanted to know about the prey in front of him, even if it meant he was going to have to beat it out of her. Her expression did remain unreadable; but for a different reason. "Noted." Yes, he was dangerous. A charmer who reacted violently when he didn't get what he wanted. Though she supposed a magnetic blade had its uses; maybe she would make one of those someday. "Kid? You're only a couple years old than I." Her eyes shined slightly, catching the upturn in Tetsuya's excitement even as she was pulled forward incessantly. "Answer me this; what are you hoping to accomplish? Take someone who doesn't want to be taken? Add to your pet project?" She paused. "Sooner or later you'll learn you can't always have what you want." Her clear dislike of being referred to as kid made Tetsuya chuckle as he continued forward. "Your a kid to me because it's quite apparent you've still got alot of growing to do, at least from a mental perspective. I don't know what that word means to you but by reacting the way you did, you've given your opponent an advantage that they can exploit and that's a mistake only a "kid" would make" He scolded before he addressed the next section of her statement with a hearty laugh. "Your not the first person to tell me that and I'm certain you won't be the last. I see myself as a pretty simple man, if I find someone or something interesting, I can't help but want them or it around me. I'm aware my methods are quite... extreme to say the least but I believe its the truly the only way to connect with someone. To make a genuine bond with them" With the distance between them closing by the second, Tetsuya found it appropriate to ask some questions of his own while he was at it. "Tell me nameless girl, what is it about that taboo word drives you to exhibit such a demonizing amount of killing intent? What is your connection with Esme?" He uttered the word again, caring not for the woman's earlier threat. She stopped, eye closed as she reached for her once more. She felt the tether between his blade and her pull taunt. "Seems I'm not the only kid in this equation then." She pushed her veil outward, waiting and hearing the *snap* she was looking for. "Does it ever occur to you that whatever caught your interest may not care to be around you?" "Perhaps" Tetsuya shrugged, acknowledging both her point about him having his own immaturity and also her point regarding the unwanted attention "That doesn't mean I'll give up just because of that though. I mean, I wouldn't have a fraction of the friends I have now if I decided to give up on them just because they claimed they didn't need or want my company" Rene pushed her blade out of its sheath slightly, a brilliant, vindictive red peeking out, her voice empty. "She birthed me." "...Is that right? So you have a grudge against your mother" This was definitely a story Tetsuya had heard before but still played the part of acting surprised as he tilted his head "And what exactly did your mom do to make you hate her so much?" "Claimed you say...you sound as if you know quite a bit." His acting skills needed work; though she couldn't help but wonder, however superficially, what served as the reason for his need to feign his surprise. "Wrong question." "Aw come on, don't be like that. Tell me about this woman" Tetsuya said as the distance between the two had closed enough that the two were facing one another and Tetsuya momentarily deactivated the magnetic pull from her body and reached out to grab her chin, lifting it up slightly as he stared deeply into her crimson cold eyes. "Is she the reason why your eyes have become so cold? I can tell that the only thing that's keeping you going is is your thirst to find both this woman and that guild that you have a history with. Why is that?" She swatted his hand away. "Because the night is dark and full of terrors. Finish what I started then join the silence." Rene looked at her wrist as if staring down at a watch. "It seems my time is up. To never seeing each other again," Rene said, making a false toast. Then she fell apart, fading into nothingness. A small, cheaply made blade then clattered to the ground before disintegrating. Against a quiet backdrop, the sound proved deafening; yet it too faded, leaving a haunting serenity in its wake. "...Huh?" Tetsuya blinked, utterly confused as to what had just happened as he stared blankly at the ground where the assassin had just stood. He believed she was using her magic once again to conceal herself as he smiled "That won't work, I know your weakness" He inhaled deeply before he roared "ESME! ESME! ESME! ESME!" "....." Instead of being on the end of another wave of killing intent, all Tetsuya heard was the silent stillness of the night as he stared dumbly across the rummaged ruins, confused as to what had just happened. "What the hell... that should have worked..." His brain went into overdrive trying to explain the situation and as he thought about it over and over, one comment made by Cursan resurfacing in his mind. "Most likely, what you're seeing is either an illusion or perhaps a body double. Which shouldn't be a surprise given her cautiousness" An illusion or a body clone. He didn't pay it much mind back then due to how she had reacted when he had mentioned her mother's name but after reanalyzing the situation and piecing together her strange behavior at times and his inability to catch a whiff of her at this moment, a dark realization occurred to Tetsuya. "Now wait just a damn minute..." His anger began to boil as the ground around Tetsuya began to shake, sparks of lightning erupting from the clouds above him. Any animals in the vicinity began to flee immediately as the sheer gravity of Tetsuya's anger was enough to cause them immense fear. "She played me real good..." He laughed; not that he thought the situation was funny but out of amusement that someone could make him feel this angry in such a long time. He was trying to learn more about this assassin with genuine concern and she had the nerve to try and trick him with a clone and then just leave as if that was the end? She had balls, serious balls. Taking a deep breath, Tetsuya began to calm down and refocused his mind on the matter at hand. Since she had clearly used the time wisely and escaped, he simply needed to track her down again. However, this time was going to be different. Before, he needed Cursan's assistance as while he may have known the general location in where she'd be, he had no idea what she looked like and required the demon to create a trail for him. Now that he had seen what her face looks like, what she smelled like, what she sounded like, and what her body felt like, she had no chance in hell of escaping from him. "I tried to play nice and look where that got me. The hell with being diplomatic, that brat needs to be taught a lesson" He declared as magic circle opened up beneath his feet, connecting him to the Sinful Spirit World as the necklace around his neck began to twinkle with a dark glimmer. Placing his hand on the floor, Tetsuya began the chant. "Oh Spirit that dwells within the world not seen. Spread our greed among our enemies! I summon you now, Mammon!" As Tetsuya's chant finished, the magic circle beneath him grew even wider as a dark figure emerged from the ground and spread it's jet black wings while floating in the air above him. A sinister laugh was heard from the demon's mouth as it looked down and smiled accordingly at its owner calling for him. "It's been a long time since you've called me, Master" Mammon worded the last bit with a hint of resentment as he did not enjoy being unable to come to Earthland frequently, especially when he compared it to the dull scenery of the Spirit World. "How's your day been?" As if he didn't already know as he saw the sour expression on Tetsuya's face. "Read through my memories and find that woman, you may use my body to do so until you locate her" Tetsuya did not indulge in his spirit's rather poor attempt to troll and ordered him. "...For what reason?" Mammon questioned, though that was a bit of a mistake as even the greedy demon felt a tinge of fear when he saw the blood lust in Tetsuya's eyes and relented before accepting his master's orders. "...Very well. Just know you'll have to wait awhile before you can gain control aga-" "I don't care, just find her" Tetsuya cut him off, indicating to the demon that whoever it was that he was looking for had pissed him enough that he was willing to let Mammon have his fun in his body, even if it was for a short while. "Hmph, don't regret this" The process was simple enough as Mammon's body evaporated into a thin black smoke and hovered over Tetsuya's own body, with Tetsuya himself closing his eyes as his consciousness faded into darkness. Not even a minute later, the black smoke completely disappeared and Mammon opened his eyes as he found himself excited as he finally got to control his master's supreme body again. "Thanks, I'll take real good care of it. Now then, let's see what the situation is" Mammon searched through Tetsuya's mind, recalling all of the events that had transpired over the past few hours, learning of the assassin, what the name Esme meant to her, and what had enraged Tetsuya so much that he'd be willing to resort to this. "Now I see. That assassin, she's quite the brave young lady. Angering this human is a decision even I dare not make" Mammon commented. As for the matter of finding her, it was pitifully easy as a large red eye appeared on Tetsuya's forehead. It was known as the Eye of Truth, an ability unique to Mammon among the Sinful Spirits that allowed the demon to locate anyone or anything no matter where they were or what magic they had covering them, as long as he possessed at least three of the five senses of that person. Taste, Touch, Smell, Sight, and Sound; Tetsuya had gathered four of her five senses as he had touched her, smelled her, seen her appearance, and heard her voice. It was an ability that Mammon could only use and since it required such precise information regarding its target, the most effective usage of it was to allow Mammon to take over the host and do the hunting manually. Activating the eye of truth, an image appeared in his mind that displayed the assassin riding on a flying creature of some sort travelling over a vast sea at an incredible speed. Mammon shifted his body to the left at the direction in which she was moving too, estimating that the distance she had made was quite significant. "She's moving fast, guess I can't dally around here" He knew his time was limited and wanted to have some fun with that assassin as a pair of black wings emerged from his back and he lifted himself into the air. He was confident in his speed but with such a distance between them, he feared he might lose her if he didn't speed things up a bit. "I'll be borrowing your powers, master" Since he was now in Tetsuya's body, he had access to all of his master's spells and skills and as such, he converted himself into lightning thanks to Lightning Body and in one swift motion, exploded forward with astronomical speed that was boosted by his aerodynamic wings. He moved like a lightning bolt across the sky as the ground beneath crumbled from the overwhelming speed, an unfitting maniacal laugh erupting from Tetsuya's handsome face as Mammon screamed in pleasure. "Hahaha, this is awesome! Wait for me, my dear Esme! I'm coming to play!" With how insanely fast he was travelling, he'd catch up to the fleeing assassin in no longer than a couple of minutes and only god could tell what fate awaited her once she was caught by the demon that had full control over a living weapon like Tetsuya's body. She was gone from her hell-hole of a birthplace: Sin. Truth be told, she had planned on spending even less time there than she did after not finding what she sought; while the now dead assassins were a good consolation prize, they weren't the target she sought. A click at the back of her mind told her the clone she made was no more; if her read on the young man was any indication, he would definitely be in pursuit of her. Apparently people hadn't said no to him enough; no they didn't want to be a part of his project, no they want to tell their life story. Yes, they wanted to be left alone. The dupe was nothing personal; Rene simply didn't have time to waste. Esme wasn't the type to sit still, nor stick around after all; making every second precious. However, she did leave the occasional pattern; which meant Pergrande was next on her list. "You're next mo-" she stopped, sensing a rapidly approaching figure in the distance. The assassin didn't give herself time to be surprised; he was far from weak and a lightning user. How he managed to transport himself from the previous point to her location didn't matter; what she sensed about his person did. For it was truly foul; anyone with a whiff of magical skill could sense something off. It wasn't angry or fury necessarily (though she had no doubt that was among the dark sentiment), but something evil. Or maniacal; the nomenclature mattered not. Renesmee placed her hands on the hilt of her blades: Darkheart and Oathkeeper. Listening to their reassuring hum allowed her to center herself as she and her bird cut through the night sky. "The night obscures: Erebus Nyx." She and her bird disappeared into the night environment, fading at first like her typical Veil activation, but instead of erasing herself entirely, her scent and aura filled the sky like paint on canvas. It was here, there, everywhere. All headed in the same general direction. Then, as if a flare, they all went out at once. Nothing left in their wake but vast sky above and crashing seas below. Watching and waiting. "Hm?" Mammon, who was soaring through the air, picked up on the odd phenomenon occurring several miles ahead of him as he tilted his head. "That's odd, her presence feels disjointed somehow. Is she trying to throw me off?" He laughed at the notion, raising his arm into the air with an even more sinister smirk than from before. "Okay little girl, let's see how you run from this" Lightning erupted from his hands as his dark magic surged further, the thunder clouds above him cackling in response to the lightning coming from Mammon's hand. Swiping his hand to the side, a countless amount of lightning bolts rained down for miles in every direction, seemingly aiming for nothing but to Mammon, who knew of the assassin's general location thanks to his Eye of Truth, the bolts of lightning were more like a cage. He was going to cut off every corner of escape for this lovely young lady as a group of lightning bolts converged together and made a b-line for the spot where Mammon could see the assassin was moving too. Mammon could only snicker as he watched from a far distance. "Entertain me, will you?" Her expression didn't deviate; even as the light show began, the sky and sea a chorus of bolts. Building into a crescendo that made a bee-line for her; never did had she met an individual so petty. Nevertheless, the continuous flare of lightning bolts did aid her in directions, revealing a land peaking over the horizon with their temporary luminescence. She continued on her straight shot, lightning passing through her and the bird repeatedly as her shifting veil did its work. It was more than just a game of hide and seek. Despite this, the dark energy she sensed within the lightning and from her pursuer continued to bother her. It was unearthly, nor had she picked up on it earlier...so why the sudden appearance? She pulled out her blade before suddenly being blinded as the lightning blast struck home. Yet she remained intact. Her blade crackled from the concentrated onslaught from above as her veil returned in force. "Thanks Darkheart." Renesmee refocused on the target land ahead, ignoring the informal lightning cage as she burst through row after row. If he thought this was enough, he had no idea what he was getting into. "Not bad, not bad at all" Mammon complimented genuinely as he witnessed the assassin curve his lightning bolts with both finesse and grace. She couldn't dodge the one he had sent after her but managed to block it with her blade, a testament to the blade's durability. However, the smile on Mammon's face widened the moment she had deflected his lightning bolt with her metal blade but that was something he planned to use for later as he noticed the upcoming land ahead. "You won't have anywhere to run once you touch the ground" Mammon continued his chase of the fleeing assassin, both their bodies having now left the ocean sea below them and hovered over the vast greenery as Mammon grew closer and closer by the second. If he was in his own body, he was have leisurely gave chase while enjoying the scenery but unfortunately, he was on borrowed time and had to speed the process up a bit. "I have nothing against animals but your pet is a nuisance" Mammon declared, aiming to deprive the assassin of her method of transportation by utilizing his master's lightning magic and aimed a single finger at the bird flying several meters ahead of him while closing one of his eyes. "Ciao" A simple command but an effective one as a very thin but dangerously sharp black lightning bolt shot out of Mammon's finger at a speed that very few could even process, let alone dodge as it was aimed at the creature carrying the assassin, who could do very little to prevent the bolt from striking her familiar. She would give him points for persistence, noting they'd left the relative safety of the sea behind. Too late to dodge or block, she sensed the black bolt honing on her means of travel. Bracing for impact, she placed her free hand on the bird, pouring a sizable chunk of her own magic to render it intangible. Yes, it was her creation and she could have made another one, but she couldn't help but have grown fond of it as her means of travel and one of two consistencies in her life. What mattered was the bolt sailing through the beast harmlessly. "Tsk" Mammon clicked his tongue at seeing his attack narrowly evaded as he had to give the young woman credit for being able to react the way she did in less time than it took to blink. Clearly, he had underestimated just how much experience this assassin possessed and only took her for a pretty face. Even so, he was still fully in control of the flow of the battle as he watched her next move. Renesmee then made a hard bank turn, flying parallel to the coastline before once more turning to face the pursuer. While not a fan of charges, she could feel her magic beginning to dwindle. It was why she didn't enjoy using her secondary magic; not that she had a choice given the dogged nature of the devilman in front of her. Keeping the sea to her left Rene focused, beginning to shape her magic once more on the invisible plane. Her red gaze became frosty. She saw why the Tetsuya guy felt off. There was almost a sense of something....inhabiting him. Malicious, insatiable, and simply mean. "Kill the spirit, save the man they say." Then she launched them. Hundreds of invisible blades, all marked to kill, coming in hot from all directions. Honing in on the one who just couldn't mind his own business. She waited patiently for the result. "...Is she stupid?" Mammon could not comprehend why the assassin had made a U-Turn and was heading straight for the same person that had been chasing her down but discarded that thought when he sensed a rise in her magic power. With his Eye of Truth, Mammon could ascertain that she had launched an invisible attack at him and could vaguely see the outlines of blades being directed at him from every direction. It was a brilliant attack that left very little options to dodge and forced him to block the attack so as to reduce the damage to himself.... Well, that would have been the case had Mammon not been in someone else's body as he merely continued forward with even more speed than before as the blades all scratched and sliced through different parts of Tetsuya's body, a decision that the assassin couldn't have even possibly predicted. He made sure to avoid any fatal spots but everything else was fair game as Mammon coated his body in lightning, making the blades that were intended to kill more like severe paper cuts instead. "Dumbass, you really thought this attack would deter me? Try again in a hundred years!" He screamed as he began spinning in mid air, charging his legs up with lightning en route to the still stunned assassin and once the distance had been closed, threw his lighting charged leg out as he aimed a devastating kick to her abdomen that she simply couldn't dodge or block in time as the force behind the momentum of Mammon's kick was far too great. She was catapulted right off of the bird that she had just been standing on as she flew through the air. It was a tactic that the demon shared with his owner; take an attack to give an attack. Regaining his balance, Mammon followed up his attack by spreading his black wings and then launching an endless barrage of lightning infused feathers towards the still air born assassin. The wind taken out of her. Not a good feeling as she fell downwards. It was a shock to the system as she coughed up blood. Her blades still in her hand, she prepared to block whatever amount of the barrage she could. Then her back hit something solid and warm. Soon she was soaring again, awake from the barrage of lightning-infused feathers and into the skies. "Thanks Aethon." The bird cawed proudly in response. Her eyes changed; losing their crimson hue. Replacing them were angry, blood-red irises and slitted pupils. The quality of her magic altered as well, growing more potent with each passing second. "Not deter you...distract you." The blades roared to life once more behind him, solidifying into one entity before being dropped like an anvil from the heavens onto his vulnerable back. "I should have roasted that thing when I had the chance" Mammon growled as the pesky avion had aided its precious owner in the nick of time. An eyebrow was raised due to the assassin's words but he soon discovered why as he swiftly felt the overwhelming weight of something on his back that he had been unable to notice, in part thanks to his arrogance and also due to the assassin's troublesome ability to coat her attacks through some sort of illusion. "Fuck!" Mammon roared as he was carried down by the large obstruction and landed on the ground, the ground beneath him being destroyed by the impact as a large amount of dust and debris exploded outward in the vicinity, showcasing the power behind that fearsome attack. Moments passed as the debris began to fade and it seemed that the demon had been put down before a large explosion of dark energy erupted from the ground, followed by a piercing scream that came from the dragon lungs of Tetsuya's body. "GOD DAMN IT! YOU BITCH, I"LL SKEWER YOU!" Mammon was no longer able to control his rage as he stood in the center of the crater he had just created, bringing his hand to his face. A black and red horned mask soon took form on his face and Tetsuya's previously amber eyes had changed into a deep crimson, one that conveyed the wrath of the Sinful Spirit that inhabited his body. Dark energy poured out from his body as everything nearby began to tremble and wither away due to the sheer toxicity of it. Even the courageous bird that had assisted it's master in this fight felt intimidated by the enraged mask wearing demon, indicated by all of the hair's on its body standing up and as for the assassin, she surely understood from a glance that she was no longer going up against an enemy with any attention of playing nice. "Yes, this is it. The power of darkness master possesses... it's just invigorating...!" Mammon praised as he felt much more comfortable in his hosts's body after he utilized the demonic powers bestowed within him. Play time was over, it was time for the big gun's. Before that however, he was curious on one thing as his body vanished in the blink of an eye and appeared floating right above the bird and assassin duo, his crimson eyes looking down on them. "There are very few humans that I acknowledge. You have joined their ranks, consider it an honor. What is your name, assassin? Unless you want me to keep referring to you as Esme or whatever it was called" Mammon spoke with two voices, both his and Tetsuya's mixed in but with a deeper tone. "Seems you're the kid now." No more hiding it seems. She watched the dark energy surge out of control before settling and the demonic essence she sensed solidify. More importantly, a monstrous mask obscured the male's face. Her eyes glowed with the faintest traces of amusement; the first emotion she displayed beyond a cold, calculating exterior. While not fearful as her companion was, the assassin was no doubt impressed with the amount of power being released. It was clear the reservoirs of him and whatever diabolic was inhabiting him ran deep. And his speed went up exponentially as well. "Assassin is fine; no need to exchange names..seeing as yours remains veiled demon," she replied. She winced ever so slightly as her mother's name was stated. Not for the first time did Renesmee wish her name was something else, having thought about changing it repeatedly. "Shall we? I'm sure your time is at an end." "I am known as the Sinful Spirit of Greed, Mammon. It's a shame though, I would have liked to at least know your name before you perished" Mammon shrugged but got over it pretty quickly. It was no loss on his part, he found this woman intriguing but nowhere to the same extent as his obsessed master and would apologize to him as he had full intentions of ending her life. "Don't we all." Silence followed. With no more words needed to be said, Mammon threw both his arms to the side, a tunnel of dark energy conversing into both of them as he aimed them forward and fired the spell towards the assassin. The two pairs of energies took the forms of two dark twin dragons as they separated and came at the young woman from both sides. She sheathed her blades, closing her eyes as Rene let her senses range out. Then she her blades upward and downward. With it came two chilling slashes, each ripping through the atmosphere with the intention of eviscerating each dragon. The twin dragons collided with the counter slashes as the clash created a fierce gust around the battle field. In the after math of the attacks that had neutralized one another, Mammon's figure had already made its move during the distraction as he came swooping down from the sky as he threw his arm forward and created an enormous claw made of shadow that covered a great portion of the sky. The hand swiftly descended downwards onto the airborne assassin, aiming to crush her in its entirety like how she had done to him previously. Sensing its creator's occupied state, the bird pointed its beak upwards, firing a wide beam of ethernano at the descending shadow hand in an effort to neutralize it. Meanwhile, Rene drew her blades properly, their brilliant, blood-red hue illuminating the night. Ready and hungry for the next offensive as she switched up her style, ready for his upcoming onslaught. It was cute that the avion like creature believed it could match up with Mammon's enhanced attack but alas, the beam conjured by the beast did little more than slow down the descending shadow hand. As Mammon watched the assassin prepare both her blades in an attempt to counter, he merely shook his head and gave her a pitied gaze. "Naive" He raised his hand, activating his magnetic magic once more as the blade that the assassin had used to block his lightning bolts before they had even arrived on land began to spark, a fact that the assassin must have either missed or did not care to remember as her blade was drawn towards Mammon, who was heading towards her with the giant shadow claw in front of him. She hadn't let go of it yet but she had to make a decision quick as her body was resisting with all of its might to be pulled towards the approaching demon. Category:Roleplay Category:CBZ Roleplay Category:Great Achlus